Opinion: Revelations Friday show that Mrs Thatcher's Tory government of the 80s lied about the number of UK coal mines they wanted to close and indicate that miner's leader Arthur Scargill was right when he accused her goverment of having a "secret hit-list" of mines. The government claimed the figure was 20 but in truth they planned to shut 75 mines over three years.In the UK during the 80's the governing Tory government did its utmost to smash the miner's unions. They succeeded. Vast sums of money were invested to break the miners, who held a protracted strike. Police officers bragged about the amount of money they were raking in to police the often violent protests associated with the strike. This is known first hand. The information was gleaned during the days following the strike from one police officer all to willing to brag that he had bought a new house, car and had an extra vacation, courtesy of the miners.In other words it was never about money, as far as the UK government was concerned. It was about who wields the power in Britain.The Thatcher government were determined to close mines and shatter miners' unions into tiny useless pieces. They succeeded.Almost 30 years on archived material published Friday confirms what the miner's leader Arthur Scargill always suspected -- that the Tories had their own agenda, which was to close more pits than announced.

Scargill was demonized by Tories and many in the press. So were the striking miners. Too many people began to believe Tory spin that the unions of the UK had become too powerful. As one union official asked this writer at the time, "If that is the case how come the working classes of the UK are not living off the fat of the land?"

Propaganda is a powerful weapon. The Tories in particular, with their well-funded campaigns play the spin card well. Too well. People tend to forget that those who have big money to invest, and do so in the Tory Party, do so for self-motivated ends.

You can argue that the unions do this to the Labour party but that has little credence these days. Most unions have been well and truly castrated in the UK and now have very limited power, if any at all. With many foreign based firms operating in the UK, think Asda a part of the US Walmart group, unions are not even recognized in some British workplaces.

News that the Tory government lied, back in the 80s, is still relevant. It should be noted and considered.

Currently the same political party is attempting to spin the truth, with one eye on the General Election, scheduled for 2015.

These days the Tories and their coalition allies, the Liberal Democrats, continue to "bash the Unions" and try to put the lower and middle classes against each other, as they preach austerity but only for some people in the UK.It is the old, traditional, and often successful, divide and conquer. You get angry reading spin which may include reports about:

A predicted influx of Romanians about to flood into the UK, coming to steal all our jobs whilst ripping off the benefits system.

Whether or not an unemployed man is fiddling the system.

Mrs Whoever having more money than you but not working.

A large family living on benefits in a large house.

And of course that is what certain politicians want.They have grown used to sitting in parliament, especially the days its suits them financially to do so. They are used to receiving money and expenses for, as we say in the UK, "old rope". They have grown fat off the country. They are building their own "dynasties" for the future. They are playing the old game of "you scratch my back and I will scratch yours" as they help their political and business buddies.They play within vague rules however more people now see that something is rotten in the state of the UK parliament. But again this plays into Tory hands. Those politicians who will rub their hands with glee at predictions that many ordinary people in the UK will not bother to vote. That does not matter to them as the people who matter to them will.If news that Thatcher and, or, her ministers lied during the miner's strike does not open your eyes what will? We know of course that any Tory government is ultimately elected on a mandate of lies. Look back at any Tory manifesto full of election promises for confirmation.Note: The BBC reports that: "A key adviser to then-PM Margaret Thatcher denies any cover-up claims". "Other papers from 1984 reveal warnings of violence outside the Libyan embassy, in which WPC Yvonne Fletcher was killed". "One of the warnings was passed on by the British ambassador in Tripoli, Oliver Miles, who was sceptical about what he was told by Libyan government officials". "And the previously confidential files released on Friday by the National Archives also show the effect of the Brighton bomb on Mrs Thatcher's thinking about Ireland".

Brilliantly reported. Add to it that Thatcher was on the verge to use the army and declare a state emergency it was not known but now the disclosure of the papers stated it.. She was running scared and would have used anything to win. Like the Falklands.

Reply

eileen

01/03/2014 3:18pm

Thanks Maria. I added a link in it to your report about the strike. She was a stinker for sure.

Reply

Eileen

01/05/2014 4:39am

Yes he is a hero of mine too. Thanks for reading and thanks to George for promting this report.